PRISTINA -- The president of Kosovo, Atifete Jahjaga, is calling on all citizens, including the Serbian community, to participate in local elections on November 3.

In an exclusive interview with RFE/RL on September 27, Jahjaga said, "We believe in building our future together, for the benefit of all citizens, and therefore integration in social and institutional life by all communities is in the interest of all."

She added that "elections are the best chance to prove that the past cannot define the future and shall not obstruct the present."

Last month, Kosovar Serb leaders threatened to boycott the vote, saying it was unacceptable if organized under local laws.

Some 40,000 Serbs live in the north and refuse to recognize Pristina's authority after Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008.